World Jr. Champs: Stuhec takes DH gold

By Published On: February 26th, 2008Comments Off on World Jr. Champs: Stuhec takes DH gold

Slovene Ilka Stuhec has claimed the gold medal in the women's downhill at the World Junior Alpine Championships in Formigal, Spain Tuesday.
    Stuhec, the defending junior slalom champion is also a 2005 Topolino GS champion and is currently ranked fourth on the Europa Cup GS standings.
    Stuhec was well ahead of silver medallist Lara Gut of Switzerland, while SG winner Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany claimed the bronze. Anna Fenninger, an Austrian, was fourth and Romainian Edith Mikos fifth.
    Canadian Larisa Yurkiw was the top North American in eighth place but Alice McKennis of the U.S. was close behind ninth. Kelly McBroom of Canada closed out the top 10 with Americans Marine Gauthier and Kirsten Cooper in 11th and 12th respectively. Laurenne Ross finished 18th, Julia Ford 32nd and Katie Hartman 36th. Canada also has Stephanie Irwin in 28th, Tess Davies 38th, Georgia Simmerling 40th and had Brittany Phelan fail to finish.

SLOVENE ILKA STUHEC claimed the gold medal in the women's downhill at the World Junior Alpine Championships in Formigal, Spain, on Tuesday.
    Rescheduled from Wednesday to Tuesday due to unfavorable weather forecast, the downhill gold was the third Junior World Championship gold medal for 17-year-old Stuhec, a Maribor native, after she won the slalom and the combined in the 2007 Junior Worlds in Altenmarkt/Zauchensee last season. Stuhec, the defending junior slalom champion, is also a 2005 Topolino GS champion and is currently ranked fourth on the Europa Cup GS standings.
     “I was the fastest in the training on Sunday so I am not very surprised about my win today," Stuhec said. "I just tried to do my best and it was enough for the win. The conditions were good – the organizers really did their best to prepare the course. Downhill is actually my favorite event although I won the slalom and combined last year. I like all the events and want to be an all-rounder. I look forward to racing in the downhill in the World Cup Finals in Bormio now."
    Stuhec was well ahead of silver medalist Lara Gut of Switzerland, while SG winner Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany claimed the bronze. Anna Fenninger, an Austrian, was fourth and Romainian Edith Mikos fifth.
    “I am not really satisfied with the silver medal. I won silver last year so I wanted to win gold this time," Gut said. "Ilka must have had unbelievable skis and that was good for her in these strange snow conditions. It is every athlete’s dream to become World Champion and mine to, no matter if I have had success at the World Cup level already."
    Canadian Larisa Yurkiw was the top North American in eighth place but Alice McKennis of the U.S. was close behind in ninth. Kelly McBroom of Canada closed out the top 10 with Americans Marine Gauthier and Kirsten Cooper in 11th and 12th, respectively. Laurenne Ross finished 18th, Julia Ford 32nd and Katie Hartman 36th. Canada also has Stephanie Irwin in 28th, Tess Davies 38th, Georgia Simmerling 40th and had Brittany Phelan fail to finish.
    U.S. Team leader Walt Evans reported that "conditions were partly sunny and warm on a surface that had been salted pretty heavily in order to create an icy racing surface. The servicemen spent most of the night and morning figuring out how to prepare skis for best gliding. The course drops almost 700 vertical meters and had variable terrain and variable exposure to wind and sun. Waxing and ski preparation has been a challenge.
    "Congratulations to the ski service staff for a great job today: Demetrios Hassos, Kristian Saile and Pepi Culver. These guys also work the start marking sure athletes have current course information.
    "The performance of the women was solid (four in the top 20). Most of the girls moved up relative to their start positions. Really solid performances by Alice, Coop and Kiley. Small mistakes by Katie and Laureene cost them sdearly as they did not carry speed onto the flats. Julia gained great experience and demonstrated he has tremendous potential in speed events."


Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time FIS Points
 1  3  565360 STUHEC Ilka  1990  SLO   1:50.13  9.66
 2  7  516138 GUT Lara  1991  SUI   1:50.73  17.01
 3  21  205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria  1989  GER   1:51.17  22.41
 4  6  55947 FENNINGER Anna  1989  AUT   1:51.38  24.98
 5  2  465059 MIKLOS Edith  1988  ROU   1:51.73  29.27
 6  18  206323 STIEPEL Isabelle  1990  GER   1:52.08  33.56
 7  14  196812 PELLISSIER Marion  1988  FRA   1:52.13  34.18
 8  5  106849 YURKIW Larisa  1988  CAN   1:52.31  36.38
 9  16  538685 MCKENNIS Alice  1989  USA   1:52.56  39.45
 10  11  105334 MCBROOM Kelly  1989  CAN   1:52.70  41.16
 11  25  197006 GAUTHIER Marine  1990  FRA   1:52.72  41.41
 12  17  538471 COOPER Kirsten  1988  USA   1:53.35  49.13
 13  34  535585 STAPLES Kiley  1989  USA   1:53.50  50.97
 14  30  155563 KRIZOVA Klara  1989  CZE   1:53.61  52.32
 15  24  516109 VOGEL Nadja  1990  SUI   1:53.78  54.40
 16  13  55898 BREM Eva-Maria  1988  AUT   1:53.82  54.89
 17  38  55914 NOESIG Michaela  1988  AUT   1:53.85  55.26
 18  12  538573 ROSS Laurenne  1988  USA   1:53.92  56.12
 19  59  485505 RAYANOVA Lyaysan  1989  RUS   1:54.00  57.10
 20  29  196873 GARDET Charlene  1989  FRA   1:54.01  57.22
 21  19  425803 GROSVOLD Thea  1990  NOR   1:54.13  58.69
 22  15  196968 BAILET Margot  1990  FRA   1:54.24  60.04
 23  37  206290 HUEBNER Monica  1990  GER   1:54.37  61.63
 24  43  355052 SCHAEDLER Vanessa  1990  LIE   1:54.38  61.76
 25  45  297246 PRAMSTALLER Sara  1988  ITA   1:54.84  67.40
 26  57  155503 KLICNAROVA Pavla  1988  CZE   1:55.00  69.36
 27  48  245051 BERECZ Anna  1988  HUN   1:55.19  71.69
 28  40  106942 IRWIN Stephanie  1990  CAN   1:55.33  73.40
 29  39  425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth  1991  NOR   1:55.35  73.65
 30  54  485563 PROSTEVA Helena  1990  RUS   1:55.41  74.38
 31  62  495678 RODRIGUEZ Laura  1988  SPA   1:55.50  75.49
 32  44  538855 FORD Julia  1990  USA   1:55.51  75.61
 33  55  185275 PARTANEN Sara  1989  FIN   1:56.02  81.86
 34  49  485570 SOROKINA Anna  1990  RUS   1:56.20  84.07
 35  51  495683 TOMAS Mireia  1988  SPA   1:57.27  97.18
 36  41  538514 HARTMAN Katie  1988  USA   1:57.79  103.56
 37  52  115127 MARINOVIC Florencia  1991  CHI   1:57.82  103.93
 38  58  107027 DAVIES Tess  1991  CAN   1:57.86  104.42
 39  72  506099 BLOM Nathalie  1991  SWE   1:58.08  107.11
 40  22  105920 SIMMERLING Georgia  1989  CAN   1:58.41  111.16
 41  53  485564 OSIPENKO Lyubov  1990  RUS   1:58.90  117.16
 42  68  155586 KMOCHOVA Tereza  1990  CZE   1:59.58  125.50
 43  36  297601 BRIGNONE Federica  1990  ITA   1:59.92  129.67
 44  70  115133 ALEGRIA Catalina  1991  CHI   2:00.24  133.59
 45  67  465058 CRACIUN Iulia  1988  ROU   2:00.72  139.47
 46  65  495646 PALAU Marta  1988  SPA   2:00.76  139.97
 47  56  415141 RALSTON Alice  1989  NZE   2:01.20  145.36
 48  66  495651 CARRERAS Claudia  1988  SPA   2:03.21  170.00
 49  60  415134 EVES Nicola  1988  NZE   2:03.82  177.48
 50  71  695063 MATSOTSKA Bogdana  1989  UKR   2:05.20  194.39

Did not start 1st run : BUEHLER Rebecca (LIE), LEINONEN Sanni (FIN)
Did not finish 1st run : CREMA Katya (AUS), BREIGUTU Anna (BRA), BOUREYEVA Vladislava (RUS), ROTHMUND Jasmin (SUI), PHELAN Brittany (CAN), AGUILANIU Aude (FRA), AGERER Lisa Magdalena (ITA), BRODNIK Vanja (SLO), KLING Kajsa (SWE), MARSAGLIA Francesca (ITA), HOFER Anna (ITA), PERNKOPF Evelyn (AUT), WALZ Lisa- Marie (GER), CIPRIANI Enrica (ITA), FUHRER Kathrin (SUI), FEIERABEND Denise (SUI), MOSER Stefanie (AUT), MARMOTTAN Anemone (FRA), SCHMIDHOFER Nicole (AUT), FERK Marusa (SLO)

 

 

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About the Author: Pete Rugh